“Discrimination” means any act or inaction, whether intentional or unintentional in any program or activity of a Federal-aid recipient, sub-recipient, or contractor, which results in disparate (unfavorable) treatment, disparate impact, or perpetuating the effects of prior discrimination based on race, color, sex, national origin, age, disability or in the case of disability, failing to make a reasonable accommodation. An action (or inaction) whether intentional or unintentional, through which a person, based on race, color, sex, age, national origin or disability, has been subjected to unequal treatment or denied benefits under any program or activity receiving financial assistance from the FHWA under Title 23 U.S.C.

“Investigator” means an individual or entity assigned to conduct an investigation of a complaint. This may be DelDOT personnel or consultant(s) acting on DelDOT's behalf.

“Investigative report (IR)” means a written record which contains various documents and information acquired during the investigation under this procedure, including affidavits of the complainant, the alleged discriminating official, and the witnesses, and copies of, or extracts from, records, policy statements, or regulations of the agency, organized to show their relevance to the complaint or the general environment out of which the complaint arose. This document will be provided to the Federal Highway Administration, as required, and will otherwise be maintained confidentially, except where a lawsuit on the same subject has been filed.

“Probable cause” means evidence and information gathered and reviewed as part of the investigation that support the allegations of the complainant and comprise sufficient support that discrimination, or a violation, and/or non-compliance may have occurred.

“Respondent” means a person, party, business entity or agency whose action or inaction results in the filing of a complaint by an aggrieved party as being discriminatory or non-compliant with applicable statutes, regulations and policies.